ABSTRACT
Dr. Stasia Kahn’s desire to achieve a fully operational practice has led her to be both an early implementer for Meaningful Use Stage 1 and actively engaged in experimenting with, blogging about, and promoting the use of healthcare Information technology (IT) to improve practice and the health of patients. Dr. Kahn’s first practice did not implement the patient portal because it was an add-on cost that they simply could not initially afford. Dr. Kahn has been highly assertive about getting patients signed up for the portal and actively using it. Dr. Kahn promotes the portal by explaining to each patient that they can view results from preventative exams and tests including pap smears, colonoscopies, mammograms, dexascans, screening lab tests, and immunizations. The component that makes her most uneasy is the requirement for data exchange with other physicians for referral and transitions of care.
